Assessing Annotations
Annotations will be evaluated according to the following criteria:
- Appropriateness of choice of detail to annotate.
- Thoroughness of explanation.
- Depth of detail.
- Clarity of expression.
- Value to reader in understanding the text.
Keep in mind that your goal is to provide useful information for a reader.
Therefore, you could understand these criteria as answers to the following questions:
- For what items, would a reader need to more explanation?
- In explaining this item, how much information does a reader need?
- How fully do I need to explain this item?
- How clearly do I need to explain this item?
- Finally, how helpful will explaining this item be in understanding the text as a whole?
In general, these criteria translate into the following categories:
- Thorough, detailed, appropriate, and clear explanations of items. Annotations reveal the importance of the item and by extension carry importance for the text overall.
- Annotations may fulfill the criteria, but are lacking in one of the five areas.
- Annotations may fulfill 3, or more, of the criteria, but typically fail to satisfy the reader's need for clarification or explanation.
- Annotations do not show a clear understanding of the needs of the reader.
- Annotations fail to address the needs of the reader, annotations do not indicate sources, annotations do not fully paraphrase source materials, or some other failure in fulfilling the assignment as described.
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Last revised 1.13.06
Questions: contact Dr. Ann R. Hawkins